My blogs reflect my research interests and reflections on issues in teaching, PowerPoint, social media, faculty evaluation, student assessment, time management, and humor in teaching/training and in the workplace. Occasional top 10 lists may also appear on timely topics. They are intended for your professional use and entertainment. If they are seen by family members or pets, I am not responsible for the consequences. If they're not meaningful to you, let me know. ENJOY!

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Trade vs Academic Publishing: What Type Do You Need for Your Book?

What type of book are you considering? Who is your target audience or niche market? College faculty in your discipline or research specialty? All college faculty? College students? K-12 teachers? Parents? Assorted livestock and small farm animals? Your answers to these 47 questions will determine whether you need an academic or trade publisher or one that distributes to both markets.

TRADE vs. ACADEMIC PUBLISHINGWhat’s the difference between trade and academic publishing? (Note: I know I’ve bombarded you with loads of questions, but you’ll notice that this one’s rhetorical. Just relax and listen up!) Think of the trade market as traditional “bookstoreland.” If your book would appeal to golfers, Oprah watchers, or other groups of seemingly “normal” people, then you need to think Trade-World.

Academic-World is the alternative. Academic publishers are appropriate if your audience is college faculty, K-12 teachers (most education titles are produced by academic publishers), or students. Books for students can also cross the line into Trade-World if they are self-help books related to S.A.T. and other test preparation, study skills, college survival, or even time management.

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Books for students can also cross the line into Trade-World if they are self-help books related to S.A.T. and other test preparation, study skills, college survival, or even time management. using technology in the classroom

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President & CEO at Ronald A. Berk, LLC, & PowerPoint DOCTOR

I am currently Professor Emeritus, Biostatistics and Measurement, and former Assistant Dean for Teaching at The Johns Hopkins University. After 30 years of teaching and research, I left Hopkins on June 30, 2006, to pursue speaking and writing fulltime.
I've been a teacher, writer, and researcher for 42 years, from elementary school teacher to university professor and assistant dean to professional speaker. I am still writing articles (150+) and books (13), which are posted on my Website (www.ronberk.com), and speaking to faculty about humor and multimedia in teaching, assessment, faculty evaluation, and stress management, and to students about time management, stress reduction, finding your passion in a career, and test-taking skills in the U.S., Canada, and Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia, and the Persian Gulf.